The Angels Minister To Us Series

The Angels Minister to us

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.” - Psalm 34:7

Last week we meditated on the role of the Angels in the heavenly realm. They create an example for us of how we should worship the Lord. But there is another way that angels minister to us as believers. The scriptures teach us that the angels encamp around us. When we think of the word encamp, we imagine a boundary, or a protective hedge.

The Rev. John G. Paton, a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands, told a story involving the protective care of angels. Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see the attackers unaccountably leave.

A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ, and Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men you had there with you?” The missionary answered, “There were no men there; just my wife and I.” The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard—hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station, so the natives were afraid to attack. Only then the Rev. Paton realized that God had sent his angels to protect them.

Dear brothers & sisters, today let us meditate on how the angels encamp us, and protect us in the time of need.

I. Invisible Reality

The angels are invisible. Turn with me to 2 Kings chapter 6 where, in the middle of the night, the King of Syria sent an army of horses and chariots to surround the city where the prophet Elisha lived. Their instructions were to capture Elisha and bring him back to the king. When morning came, Elisha’s servant went outside and saw this vast army. He was terrified, and he said to Elisha, “What should we do?"

The prophet said to the servant, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and he said, “Lord, I pray open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:16–17).

Now, the servant was not blind. He could see, but he could only see with his natural eyes, his mortal eyes. He could only see the earthly visible and physical army that was surrounding them. Elisha was praying, “Lord, open his spiritual eyes so that he can get a glimpse of what You have been doing all along. Let him see the invisible reality that is around us.” When the Lord opened the servant’s eyes. The servant looked and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire, all around Elisha.

The enemy that had surrounded the city could not get to Elisha. Even though it did not look like there was an obstacle in their way, there was a supernatural obstacle in their way that they could not go past. Elisha was surrounded by the angels of God who had formed a protective barrier around him.

As humans, we tend to look at the visible realities and obstacles around us, like troubling people at work, arguments in your family life, a dangerous neighborhood, or worries in your children’s life. When we see these visible dangers, we easily become fearful and upset, and we begin to worry because we only have our eyes on the things we can see. The visible realities.

If we would only stop and realize how close His ministering angels are to us and how they encamp around us and around those who believe, we would have nothing to fear. Think about our children. When we send them out into this world, there is no way you can be with them everywhere. Even if you are with them everywhere, you cannot protect them from every evil thing in this world. But if your children have faith in Christ, God will protect those children by sending His angels to come and encamp around them.

We should never be afraid, and we should face every circumstance in our lives with peace and with faith. Stop and remember our invisible reality, an invisible host of angels will always surround those who believe and trust in God. The enemy that is very real cannot get to us without getting through an army of angels that encamp around us.

II. Invincible Protection

This is another way angels minister to believers. Angels protect us from harm. In the book of Genesis, Jacob, towards the end of his life, speaks about “The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them” (Gen. 48:16). When he looked back on his life, he was conscious that God had sent an angel to deliver him from all harm.